


Night Shift at the Temple

by ReneeoftheStars



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-24
Updated: 2019-01-24
Packaged: 2019-10-15 17:44:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17533316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReneeoftheStars/pseuds/ReneeoftheStars
Summary: A Jedi Temple Guard sees all, speaks to few, and has attachments to no one. One must be prepared for any threats that may arise, especially at night, while most of the Temple sleeps.





	Night Shift at the Temple

**Author's Note:**

> Written for tumblr blog celebrate-the-clone-wars' writing Wednesday prompt: Night Shift
> 
> This piece came *this close* to becoming about the night of Order 66...but I'll save that one for another day.

Even without a chrono, it was obvious when nighttime had descended on the Jedi Temple. Through the massive skylights and slotted windows, a blue-yellow haze interrupted the dark sky, billions of light pinpricks glittering like planet-bound stars. The planet never slept, not really. Half the populace was always awake, traffic never lessened, and silence was an ancient myth.

The Temple District stood separate from the rest of the bustling world, distanced by more than a kilometer of calm city blocks. Within the Temple, the grand halls were mostly empty. The internal lighting mechanisms had dimmed to half-power, a soft glow emanating from the sconces. Enough light to see by, but not so much that it was overwhelming. Though it was always quiet in the Temple, the night brought a hush that I'd never heard anywhere else.

By the time I readied myself for my rounds, the majority of the Jedi had retired to their rooms. I donned my ceremonial robes, affixing a belt around my waist and pulling on my gloves and gauntlets. With great care, I placed the white, gold-detailed Temple Guard mask over my face and raised the hood of my robes. It had been three years since I had last left this room without being entirely concealed. Some would have felt restricted, surrendering their very identity, but I did not feel as such. To serve as a Temple Guard was the highest honor I could ever dream of, and I was more than willing to suffer anonymity if it meant proving my devotion to the Order. I took my lightsaber pike and carefully clipped it to my belt within easy reach, and exited the sleeping quarters.

As I made my way to my post, I came in contact with only two beings, who were conversing quietly as they walked. The Ithorian and Theelin Jedi nodded in greeting as they passed. I inclined my head slightly in response, though we exchanged no words. I had never learned their names, but the pair of them frequently walked the halls at this time, always deep in conversation, seemingly without a destination in mind. Sometimes I would not run into them again; sometimes, we crossed paths four or five times during my rounds.

I couldn't help but wonder what it was they always had to talk about. It had been quite some time since I had spoken with anyone other than the other Guards, and the idea of always having some matter to passionately discuss was vaguely intriguing. Emotional detachment was critical to properly perform my role; to defend the Temple from all threats, I could not afford to have my judgment clouded by my feelings. _There is no emotion; there is peace._

I passed the Archives and glanced through the arching doorway. Holobooks and datacrons shimmered blue and white upon their shelves, data terminals lined up along the main walkway, busts of notable Jedi bookending the aisles. A handful of Jedi occupied the space, seeking information about the galaxy as they prepared for upcoming missions.

An aggravated-looking Padawan paced up and down the aisles, halfheartedly looking around for trouble. I suppressed a smile as I recognized the telltale signs of Council-ordered Archive security duty. It remained a favored tactic of the Council when attempting to instill patience, vigilance, or humility in headstrong Padawans. I'd been put on guard duty a few times myself when I was young.

Sitting in an isolated corner, I recognized a Gotal staring intently at a datapad; he would be here well into the night, studying some culture or other. Back when I went on off-world missions, I would often see him when I came to study holocrons. He was a wise Master, and I had learned much from him as the night grew long. Of course, I had not spoken with him since entering the ranks of the Guards. A part of me wondered if he knew what I had risen to. Maybe he thought I had died, or else been reassigned. Whatever he thought, it didn't matter.

I continued walking, following the twists and turns of the halls.

I arrived at my post, the intersection of five main thoroughfares. Another masked Guard stood waiting for me to relieve them. I didn't know their name, but their presence was familiar. They nodded wordlessly to me, and stepped away. I watched them pace down the way I had just come, then stood at attention.

After Master Cin Drallig, head of Temple security, checked in with me, I began my patrol, choosing the north-bound corridor to start with. We did not have set routes to follow, merely designated areas. That way, we did not fall into a routine that could be easily monitored by potential trouble-makers. Tonight, I was near the northern hanger bay and a mechanical repair room, my path passing through one of the dining halls.

Nothing seemed amiss for the first part of my patrol. Most nights were uneventful, as it should be. Though I was always prepared for any disturbances, a quiet shift was a good one. Three months before, there had been a breech in a lower quadrant of the Temple as an arrogant Zygerrian slaver tried to access the crèche. After breaking in, she had gotten lost in the winding halls and passages, but was able to navigate enough of the Temple to avoid detection for almost a full day before she was finally apprehended and taken into custody. We had all been on high-alert for a month afterwards, anticipating another attempted kidnapping, but none ever came.

As I stepped into the dining hall, I found the regulars eating their morning meal – well, their first meal. When I first took up the night patrol, I had been surprised to learn just how many nocturnal species made up the Order's ranks. Frigosians, Nazzar, Tumanians, and so many others, their body's sleep patterns requiring rest during the day, allowing them to be active at night. I'd wondered if they were able to maintain a regular sleep cycle, or if they had to be awake during daylight hours to receive assignments and begin missions.

Of course, I hadn't had an opportunity to ask, and doubted that I would. These Jedi had formed an order of their own, a system of beings who inhabited the Temple separate from the rest of the Order. They may intermingle at dawn and dusk, but neither nocturnal nor diurnal fully lived in the world of the other.

Having experienced both, I was struck by the differences that existed in the Temple depending on the angle of the sun. Those who woke at night were always soft-spoken, more light-footed, as though they prowled around the Temple on the lookout for prey or predator. In my observations, they tended to have a stronger ability to sense and manipulate the living Force. Those awake during the day tended to be rowdier, bolder, and far more dependent on sight. Perhaps that had come with the evolutions of their species millennia ago.

None of the Jedi in the dining hall greeted me as I passed through, and I did not acknowledge them. It was my duty to be watchful, not social.

I returned to the intersection of hallways, turning left to continue patrol towards the hanger bay. The civilian mechanics were gone for the day, and as I activated the door control and entered the bay, was greeted with darkness and silence. Hulking transports loomed in the darkness, speeders and starfighters casting long shadows from the dim emergency lights. The lack of humming engines and sparking tools, chittering droids and laughing mechanics, made the hanger feel very lonely.

Something was behind me.

I spun on my heel, snapping my lightsaber into my hand, but didn't activate the blade. The hall was deserted. I hesitated, reaching out with the Force, sensing for any lifeforms.

There, around the corner. A very strong presence in the Force, lurking just out of sight.

I relaxed, recognizing the imprint. It was young Skywalker, out past curfew once again. On his way to the repair room, no doubt. Whenever he couldn't sleep, the boy snuck out to tinker with electrical components. I'd caught him no fewer than two dozen times since he'd come to the Temple. Of course, that was just how often I'd actually found him, and escorted him back to his room. Lately, it just didn't seem to be worth it; the boy was stubborn, and if he was determined to work on droids late at night, then so be it. He wasn't about to cause any mischief.

Besides, I'd always had a soft spot for younglings out to explore the Temple. The Masters would not approve, and the written rules were to prevent the young ones from leaving the crèche. But it was an unspoken understanding that younglings and Padawans would sneak out no matter what. We had all done it when we were their age. The Temple's paths were numerous, a labyrinth of hallways and courtyards and rooms built up after a thousand years of expansion and construction. The Temple was too fascinating _not_ to explore. And in the basic sense of the word, it was their home; they should be allowed to go where they so chose, as long as their was no danger.

“Master Drallig will be checking this sector before mid-night,” I said casually to the empty hall. The mask distorted my voice. “I suggest you be back in bed by then.” I turned deliberately away.

There was a moment's hesitation, then I heard the soft padding of running feet behind me, sliding around the corner and fading down the corridor, towards the repair room.

I allowed myself a smile as I locked the hanger access door again and clipped the lightsaber back to my belt. I sympathized with young Skywalker's nighttime missions. When I was young, I would find my way to the Room of a Thousand Fountains and swim in the ponds for hours. More often than not, I was caught and sent back to my room. But there had been one young Jedi Knight, Ky Narec, who would just sit and talk with me, quizzing me about my studies, answering my questions about the Force, never criticizing my nighttime excursions. When I became of age, he had taken me as his Padawan.

For a moment, I felt a twinge of sadness. Master Ky had been so proud when I passed the Trials, and had advised me whenever I needed him. But I hadn't spoken to him since I joined the Temple Guard. I wondered where he was now; I hadn't seen him around the Temple in several years. Last I knew, he had been given a long-term assignment on an outer-rim world.

I drew a deep breath, shaking myself out of my thoughts and stepping back to the hallway. I could not dwell on my past connections. I could not focus on protecting the Temple if I was distracted by my own feelings. _There is no emotion; there is peace._

I continued following the path, alert for any danger.

 


End file.
